diff --git a/options-table.c b/options-table.c
index ea848259..bc25573a 100644
--- a/options-table.c
+++ b/options-table.c
@@ -81,6 +81,13 @@ const struct options_table_entry server_options_table[] = {
 	  .default_num = 0
 	},
 
+	{ .name = "message-limit",
+	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_NUMBER,
+	  .minimum = 0,
+	  .maximum = INT_MAX,
+	  .default_num = 100
+	},
+
 	{ .name = "quiet",
 	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_FLAG,
 	  .default_num = 0 /* overridden in main() */
@@ -243,13 +250,6 @@ const struct options_table_entry session_options_table[] = {
 	  .style = "message-style"
 	},
 
-	{ .name = "message-limit",
-	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_NUMBER,
-	  .minimum = 0,
-	  .maximum = INT_MAX,
-	  .default_num = 20
-	},
-
 	{ .name = "message-style",
 	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_STYLE,
 	  .default_str = "bg=yellow,fg=black"
diff --git a/status.c b/status.c
index 84589427..bf528b0d 100644
--- a/status.c
+++ b/status.c
@@ -655,7 +655,6 @@ void printflike2
 status_message_set(struct client *c, const char *fmt, ...)
 {
 	struct timeval		 tv;
-	struct session		*s = c->session;
 	struct message_entry	*msg;
 	va_list			 ap;
 	int			 delay;
@@ -673,10 +672,7 @@ status_message_set(struct client *c, const char *fmt, ...)
 	msg->msg_time = time(NULL);
 	msg->msg = xstrdup(c->message_string);
 
-	if (s == NULL)
-		limit = 0;
-	else
-		limit = options_get_number(&s->options, "message-limit");
+	limit = options_get_number(&global_options, "message-limit");
 	if (ARRAY_LENGTH(&c->message_log) > limit) {
 		limit = ARRAY_LENGTH(&c->message_log) - limit;
 		for (i = 0; i < limit; i++) {
diff --git a/tmux.1 b/tmux.1
index 8fd63dc4..3167a05a 100644
--- a/tmux.1
+++ b/tmux.1
@@ -778,7 +778,7 @@ Show client messages or server information.
 Any messages displayed on the status line are saved in a per-client message
 log, up to a maximum of the limit set by the
 .Ar message-limit
-session option for the session attached to that client.
+server option.
 With
 .Fl t ,
 display the log for
@@ -2134,6 +2134,10 @@ passed through to applications running in
 .Nm .
 Attached clients should be detached and attached again after changing this
 option.
+.It Ic message-limit Ar number
+Set the number of error or information messages to save in the message log for
+each client.
+The default is 100.
 .It Xo Ic quiet
 .Op Ic on | off
 .Xc
@@ -2391,10 +2395,6 @@ With the
 flag to the
 .Ic set-option
 command the new style is added otherwise the existing style is replaced.
-.It Ic message-limit Ar number
-Set the number of error or information messages to save in the message log for
-each client.
-The default is 20.
 .It Ic message-style Ar style
 Set status line message style.
 For how to specify